I worked here briefly in college and have skied a few other times. From my experience, your review is spot on (again, like all the others). The French-speaking crowds bring a distinct travel vibe, but Montreal is pretty much your closest nightlife option.🎉
Been to Jay 3 times. Once it was 40 and sloppy. Another time it was -40 with wind chill. The 3rd time was perfect with lots fresh powder. The glades are incredible and plentiful...The wind can be brutal and bitter. Only chairlift ride that ever scared me was when I was riding solo on wind exposed side and got hit with a gust that had me sideways...Jay really is a mixed bag.
With the warm weather the last few years. Most ski resorts are going to be icy. Like he said, even if cold and you aren't there within a couple of days of some good snow, you are going to be skiing on icy conditions. The wind blows the snow off as fast as it falls so often.
@@trvman1 I should say I don't hate Jay at all. (I've gone 3 times.) It's remote so shorter lift lines. Glade skiing is just elite. The lifts themselves however, were brutal IMO (Outside the tram) and need an upgrade. Start with a bubble on the Flyer Quad if they haven't already
We’ve had the same experience with Sugarbush. Every time we go there’s a wind chill of like -10. The conditions are icy but we still manage to get in 4-5 runs before hitting the main lodge and buying some gear.
Jay Peak receives an average yearly snowfall of 359". Smugglers Notch is close at 322". Most Vermont Ski Resorts are in the 180-250" range. If you can make it happen, Jay Peak is great place for intermediate and advanced skiers particularly if you like to ski the glades. PeakRankings really nailed it with this review. Footage is from a crap day though and there are much nicer glades than shown. Come here on a dump. Lines can be bad on a weekend with fresh snow but it will be worth it!
@@richardpare3538 I don't believe you. I"ve skied in the east my whole life and out west. There is no way Jay Peak receives an average of 359" of snow. No. Way. One of the biggest marketing lies in human history.
@@easternyellowjacket276 I don't know about average.. but its Late February and they have received 252" of snow so far this season. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they will get to 350. 300" a year is probably more likely, still an insane amount for east coast.
Nothing compares to a sunny March day at Jay Peak...and nothing compares to a windy January day there either. Hard to even try to count the number of unforgettable glade runs I have enjoyed there...Timbuktu, Valhalla and Kitz Woods on the left, Deliverance and Vertigo in the middle, and Staircase and Beaver Pond on the right. And UN one of the best top to bottom workouts in the East. It was a different vibe before all the base lodge expansions. Miss the good old days.
Jay always has the best snow in the east and will often be open when other ski areas are closed. There is nothing up there as far as bars, restaurants, and nightlife, except for what the resort offers. You will see a lot of Canadians up there skiing. I remember the 1979-1980 ski season, which was bad snow, and the closer ski areas of Stowe, Smugglers, Bolton, and Sugarbush, were all closed, Jay was open.
I have skied Jay and love the place to death and you are correct they do get big snow. This all said if it’s a bad snow year, like this year you are far better off at a place like Killington. Killington just blows way more snow. I have experienced the difference first hand. Take care
Not really, Killington only opens the top for spring like skiing and still wants that hefty price ticket. When the wind blows from the north heavy, they will not even open those lifts that service the best snow at the top. One spring I went up to Killington and I wanted to ski, but as usual only the selected top area was open, even though there was plenty of snow that spring. So I was pissed and drove down 100 to Okemo, and the whole mountain was open. My opinion, no offense here, but Killington is for tourists who do not know any better.
@@LifeProducersofNewJerseyLLC Sorry you had a bad experience but what you are describing is and was an isolated incident. I am a season pass holder at Killington and have been for many years. There are many things people can rip on the K about but they blow snow relentlessly and have replaced nearly every lift on the mountain, added tunnels to eliminate cross trail issues, built two beautiful new lodges and in general just made the place better. Not to hate on Okemo but the place is as bland and flat as a parking lot. That is actually what we call it, the parking lot. Spring sling takes place off the Super Star lift which is located lower on the mountain. They do start the season up high in the old glades chair area and you have to download using the K1. That usually only happens for a very short period of time in early to late November. Killington does have a lot of tourist but don’t kid yourself Killington has a lot of steeps, bumps and glades to keep you busy. I have skied every mountain in Vermont many times and Killington is hands down the best place to ski and hang out. Sadly skiing has gotten insanely expensive unless you purchase a seasons pass, which sucks I will admit. I ski often so it works out good for me. My other favorite mountains would be Sugarbush, Mad River, Stowe and Jay Peak. Take care and let’s hope we get some snow.
@@jonwashington6440 No, that is the problem. The ski industry has less people now skiing. The mountains have not really changed. You can name just about any mountain in VT and I will show little or no changes from the 70's. I still ski. For Killington, its the big one in the east, so its a tourist trap. Most Killington skiers that I ask cannot attest for skiing other VT ski areas. Here in NJ I will ask people if they ever skied VT and most of the time they will say Killington and not be able to mention another ski area. These other ski areas are gems compared to Killington. Better conditions, lower ticket cost, more of the mountain open (Killington loves to close parts of the mountain), no crowds, better grooming, cheaper base lodge eating, more of a feel of VT, and less corporate.
I've been waiting for this one. Can't disagree with the reviews. Jay's good days are amazing but it really is a gamble. When you catch a good powder day it can't be beat in the east.
I lived on the east coast for 8 years skied probably 15 different resorts did one weekend trip to Jay, My senior year of college. It is by far the best mountain experience of any East Coast resort. It did get super freaking cold the last day but I was with a good group and it was pretty fun despite the frigid conditions, very good snow for the East Coast My favorite run was Valhalla... Lots of great tree runs and good views. Was funny to see some signs in French as well as it's so close to Quebec. Enjoy your time up there when I went the water park had just been completed it was fun but I'm sure it's a lot better now.
Jay is the only place I've seen beginner glades skiing. The lifts, the slopes, the snow quality -- all top notch. Definitely my favorite on the East coast.
Corrections: tram haus is not the newest, stateside is There’s a summit lodge at the top of the tram Resiliency could maybe use a point or 2 more; they consistently blow new snow after very windy periods, and direct on-mountain climbing gym, movie theater, water park, skating rink, and arcades make bitterly cold and/or windy days more tolerable for a vacation destination Love your reviews!!! You should def head back when they (hopefully) upgrade the jet triple to a high speed quad and expand the resort northeastward, which is less wind exposed and gets more natural snow than the current resort footprint.
Been to Jay a few times and I always tell people that it's the most consistent powder I've ever seen in the east. My first time there was a powder dump and it was amazing. Definitely can get windy though.
Coming from a west coasters perspective I have to say its a really striking mountain and looks like a lot of fun, I m afraid Id perish on all that ice though
You guys have my utmost respect. I ve ridden some of the toughest stuff in Tahoe, Mammoth, and Utah but I d probably be relegated to the kiddy runs back there.
I visited this place in 83. For the same reason why you would visited today. Not crowded and great snow. If you can't get what you're looking for there head north four hours or so. Mt trublunt another great mountain.
Been waiting for this one… I’ve been going to Jay Peak with my family for Spring Break for the past couple of years… the conditions usually vary around this time but I’ve never been disappointed skiing here especially so late in the season, it’s definitely one of my favorite mountains I’ve been to
I skied here 40 years ago. The only run open was the front of the Chalet run and it was a rink. It was hard to see all of the closed runs then but I made friends easily and the smell of what I was smoking was a good conversation starter. I have a dim memory of a Barn like bar with large wooden beams and a rock,n,roll band and a huge iron stove. I suspect Ul has bequeathed a good bounty this year. Best Wishes from Deep in the Boreal Forest near Lake Abitibi.
I grew up skiing in the east coast. Jay peak was aways my favorite. I live out west now. And we have a lot of great skiing between Utah and Colorado. Jay peak can hold up with a lot of resorts out here. Great skiing resorts.
Great video and very accurate. The main reason and the only reason I ever go there is for their glades. Their tree skiing is great when it snows. If you go make sure to check the weather. When it’s good it’s great and when it’s bad it’s brutal.
If you enjoy trees / glades and moguls no place around here beats Jay, with Stowe a close second. I've logged nearly 160 days at Jay and over 200 at Stowe. And yes, that drop to the right of the tram is gnarly and not recommended without good snow.
I live in western ma and have plenty of choices of ski areas. Jay peak is hands down the best on the east coast, I usually go at east 4 times a year but it’s a long drive, about 4-1/2 hours but 100 percent worth it. Only problem is it’s not really feasible to do a day trip so lodging is required. Luckily I know a couple good places so it makes it easy but the terrain, views, restaurants, and easy parking make it my first choice every single time. I love Jay
i don't think jay is underrated as much as it is 3-4 hours away from civilization and cold as hell. skied some very deep, very cold storms up there. most of our party was not fit for the cold. it is staggeringly cold and wintry up there. truly an alpine climate. just dress well and enjoy the dry snow.
Jay peak is the closest to out west conditions you can get in the east coast us. Those top tram runs are the closest to western glade runs you can get. Snow conditions on average will beat out the rest of the east coast... just for most its an extra 1-2hr drive. Absolutely fantastic mountain. Miss it on the regular!
I've been to Jay Peak a couple times in my youth (90s). Unfortunately, it wasn't the greatest weather. I prefer mogul runs, but nothing about it was much fun. I think the wind/cold was a downer. It was like skiing the north face of a mountain. agree on the glades experience. I'm really enjoying these vids on the northeast. thanks.
One year I skied there and they got 500 inches of snow. We skied every Friday that year, it was the best year of my life skiing until I moved to Denver retired !
If you time this mountain with storm cycles(which are plentiful), It could give any resort on the west coast a run for their money. Riding untouched powder 3 days after a storm, no lifts lines, reasonable prices.
Jay is so frustrating to me...like the terrain and glades are AMAZING but the conditions have just been awful in my experience for the most part. If the tram were a gondola, and the bonaventure and jet lifts were high speed, that would definitely improve access!
Great review, as always. Thorough and fair. Any plans on hitting the New Hampshire resorts? Surprised you haven't done Bretton Woods, Sunapee, or Cannon, to name a few off the top of my head. As a native New Hampshire-ite, the exclusion is insulting! 😉 Would be a tall order, but a cool project would be to cover mountains/areas that aren't resort-level, but are the local, independent mountains that are short and sweet (I realize that there are probably hundreds of these!). My favorite places have always been the smaller gems that barely show up on Google searches - even after ~25 years of boarding, I'll never forget one of my favorite times was on a single-run poma-lift hill in a back neighborhood in NH. Perfectly groomed, constant snowfall, at night, for only $7
Great review. Only complaint about your reviews is they tend to ignore some of the nightlife and lodging options just off-property. The town of Montgomery (7mi, 10km away) offers some award-winning lodging options, and the apres-ski restaurants and bars are not massive, but they're colorful and authentic, giving guests a real taste of true Vermont.
We found the the main detachable lift more than lap-able with varied terrain. Loved that there was never really a line even on busy Saturday when wait for the tram was over an hour. Jet chair unfortunately is badly in need of replacement.
@@clockradio989 I agree with you, the Flyer is great when it’s not on wind hold and has enough capacity for that side of the mountain. It’s the rest of the lifts with exception to the beginner lift below the tram
Hi peak rankings could you do a review on a resort in New Hampshire? You have done some on Vermont and Maine so if you could it would be appreciated. Thanks.❤
@@PeakRankings Is the lift upgrade confirmed, I don’t see a recent update? I think a lift from bear den to the mid mountain lodge is a waste for whiteface, who should focus on upgrading their upper mountain fixed grip lifts
I've done 5 days at Jay Peak. I agree with much of this review. It can be the most westernlike skiing in the east on its best days, but can also be absolutely horrendous on its worst days. Unfortunately, they have some of the most inconsistent conditions and operations of any resort I've been to. Not only do they get a lot of wind, but they are also very quick to close all the upper lifts, even on days when other resorts would keep their lifts open. My most recent day there in April 2019, there was some ice on the tram and flyer lifts and they didn't even try to clean the ice off and open them, so it was painfully slow fixed grips all day. I will certainly never book a trip in advance, and I will likely not return until they replace the Bonaventure lift. Not only is it slow but it stops a lot too. If they replace Bonaventure, upgrade their snowmaking, and become more aggressive at running their lifts in higher winds, then it will mitigate many of their issues.
We're going tomorrow! We'll have a written review up within the next few months, and should the conditions be clear enough, we'll have a video review in the pipeline as well.
